Burglar-guard system



W. J. COWAN BURGLAR GUARD SYSTEM Aug. w 1924;

Filed July 25 1922 l I-I-l 4 vSheets-'Sheet l Mii/wss;

Aug. 19, 924. 1,505,587

w.-J. covvAN BURGLAR GUARD SYSTEM Filed July 25, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 N Wzllz'am J. (ewan,

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W. J. COWAN BURGLAR GUARD SYSTEM 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 25 y vwemtoz M22/tam f 6054/6122,

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www? Aug. 19, 1924.

W. J. COWAN BURGLAR GUARD SYSTEM Filed July 25',

'4 Sheets--Sheerl 4 William J. 00a/fan,

@am ww Wiz-176 55 Patented Aug. 19, 1924.

-UNITED STATES WILLIAM J'. COWAN, OF KANSAS CITY, KANSAS.

v BURGLAR-GUARD SYSTEM.

Application led July 25, 1922. Seria1.No.`577,431.

To wlwm z't may concern.'

13e 1t known that I, WILLIAM J. CowAN, a c1t1zen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Wyandotte and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Burglar- Guard Systems, of which the following is a A specification.

My invention relates to burglar guards for the protection of banks, post-oiiices, and other places in which money and other valuables are kept-.

In carrying out the invention for the protection of a bank, for instance, the area inclosing the vault, the paying and receiving tellers and other clerks and officials is protected by a bullet proof wall in which the windows, through which business is transacted with the public, are equipped with bullet proof shutters which canbe quickly closed on the approach of an armed burglar,

t or burglars, and thus coact with said bullet proof wall in presenting a solid front for the protection of those within the enclosed area.

An electrical system is also employed and equipped with switches located at desirable points such as desks, on the Hoor, overhead etc., where they can be instantly reached and on the closing of any one of which circuits will be established to automatically close the bullet proof shutters, sound local and distant alarms, lock the bullet proof door leading into the protected area and also the front door leading into the bank, so that the burglar, or burglars, may be entrapped in the room outside of the protected area and held until the arrival of the police.

Other features will hereinafter appear, and in order that the invention may be fully understood, reference will now be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional plan view of a bank yequipped with the invention.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the bullet proof in section, one of which is employed in co1 nection with the-bullet proof wall, and tl other for controlling the ingress and egre: to 'the street.

Fig. 7 is a detail of a contact and suppoi associated with the doors.

Fig. 8 is a diagram of the circuits.

Referring now more particularly to th parts disclosed by Figs. 1 and 2, A designate a room to which ingress and egress is ha through a front door B. i

2 designates al bullet proof wall enclosin, an area C inthe room A and in which th clerical and olicial force of the bank, o: other institution, is enclosed, said area con taining among other features desks D, E and F. The enclosed area -C also protectl the entrance to the vault G in which thi money and other valuables are kept.

Entrance is had to the area C through 2 bullet proof door 4 associated withthe bullet proof wall 2, which latter has any desired number of window openings 6 through which the paying and receiving tellers, etc.1 transact business with'the public. The Window openings 6 have the usual protective grills 8, and in addition are protected by bulletproof shutters 10.

The shutters 10, Figs. 3 and' 4, are arranged in pairs on the inside of the bullet proof wall 2. The upper ends of each .pair operate in a guide 12 fixed to the inside of the bullet proof wall 2, while their lower ends are mounted uponantifriction rollers 14 which traverse stationary rail sections 16 fixed to the inside ofthe bullet proof wall 2.

The stationary rail sections 16 are spaced apart to admit a vertically movable rail s ection 18, which, when in the raised position disclosed by Fig. 3, abuts the shutters 10 and holds the same in open position. The stationary rail sections 16 are notched as indicated at 20 to receive lugs 22 at the ends of the movable rail section 18 when the same moves downwardly, so that the upper surface of said rail section 18 will be on a level with the upper surface ofthe rail sections 16 to permit the shutters'lO to move together as indicated by arrows a, a, Fig. 3, and close their respective window opening 6. The movable rail section 18 is normally held in raised position by an armature 24, which is forced beneath said rail section 18 when the same is manually raised to the osition shown by Fig. 3, by a spring 26. n elecagnet 28 is provided, which when exattracts its armature 24 and withdraws ame from beneath the rail section 18, so the latter may drop to the level of the sections 16, as above st-ated.

hen the rail section 18 drops from ben the shutters, the same are immediately d by mechanical means comprising bellks 32 fulcrumed 'at 34, counterweights djustably secured upon said bell-cranks y-suitable means such as set screws 38, connecting bars pivoted at their ends ie respective shutters 10 and having pinyslot connections 41 with the bell-cranks achvdoor 4 and Bis equipped with a ng lock 42 of, any suitable design, Fig. In the present instance I have shown lock consisting of a case 44,'a bolt 46 pted to be retracted by a suitable key, a ng 48 for lshooting the bolt into its ver 4 9, a lug 50 fixed to said bolt 46, an rature 52 for engaging said lug 50 to l the bolt 46 in retracted position against actionl of the spring 48, and an electrognet 54, which -whenl excited lifts the rature 52 out of the path of the lug 50, that lthe spring 48 may shoot the bolt The poles of the electromagnet 54 are nected by circuit .wires 56 and 58 to conts 66 and 68, respectively. The contacts and 68 are mounted on a tubular bracket fixed to the u per portion of the door l through whicl the. wires 56 and 58 eX- d. When the door is closed the contacts and 68 engage contacts 60. and 62 conytled to circuit wires 70 and 72, respece y.

a bracket 74 secured to the top of the )r casing 76 or the burglar proof wall as the case maybe. Phe current for energizing the electrical paratus is received over mains 78 and'80, s flow of current from said mains being itrolled by electrical appliances mounted a control board 82, Fig. 5. Said a ances consist, preferably, of a double po e lgle throw switch 84, the poles of which a connected. by wires 86 and 88 to the tins 78 and 80, respectively; fuses 90 and connected to opposite terminals ot'Y the itch 84 by wires 94 and 96; bus bars 98 yd 100 connected to the fuses 90 and 92 wires 102 and 104, respectively; bus bars 6 and 108 in contact with the bus bars and 100, respectively; a transformer'llO wing a primarycoil 112 connected to the ls bars 106 and 108 b wires 114 and 116, spectively' a pair o oppositely-disposed 1s bars 118 and 120, the former of which connected to the bus bar 100 and the latr to a bus bar l122; circuit wires 124 and 36 connected to the bus bars 98 and 122, aspectively; a switch 128 to connect the us bars. 118 and v120; a relay 130 which,

The contacts and 62 are carriedv when excited, closes the switch 128 through the intermediacy of anarmature 132 and an insulated connecting rod 134; and a pilot lam 136 in a circuit consisting of conductors 188 and 140 connected to the secondary coil 142 of the transformer 110.

Referring now more particularly to the diagram Fig. 8, it will be seen that the circuit consisting of the wires 124 and 126 is connected in parallel to branch circuits 144, 146, 14.8, 15o, 're-72, 70a and 72a and 154. The circuit 144 embodies an audible signal such as a bell 156 which may be located at a police station or other distant point. The branch`- circuits 146 to .150', inclusive, are connected to the electro'magnets4 28 arranged at the windows 6. The branch circuit embodying the wires and 72, the contacts 60, 62, 66 and 68, andthe wires 56 and 58, is connected to the electromagnet 54 enclosed in the lock case 44. The branch circuit embodying the wires 7 0a and 72a is also equipped with an electromagnet 54. The branch circuit 154 is connected to an audible signal, preferably, in the form of a Gong 158'which ,may be located at the outside of thebuilding to arouse the public to the fact that an attempted burglary is taking place.

The branch circuits may be increase or reduced in number according to the number of windows in the bullet proof wall 2 and the number of alarms it is desired to employ, it being understood that such alarms may be located at all desired points.

The circuit embodying the wires 138 and 140 is in series with a plurality, of branch circuits 160, 162, 164, 168, 170 and 172, adapted to be closed by manually controlled switches, preferably, inv the form of push buttons 174, 176, l17 8, 180, .182, and 184, respectively. Said push buttons are located at all desirable points within the room, A, and within the protected area C adjacent to the desks, the windows, the door, and within the vault G; they being, preferably, disposed in such manner that they may be operated without attracting the attention of a burglar.

Assuming that the doors l4 and B are closed but not locked and that the shutters 10 vare in open position the operation is substantially as follows: n the closing of any one of the push buttons, such for instance as the push button 184, the circuit through the wires 138 and 140.7is closed. This energizes the electromaffnet 130 which closes the switch. 128. VIClurrent then flows from the main 78, through wires 86, one side of switch 84, wire 94, fuse 90,'wire 102, bus bar 98, wire 124, and branch circuits 144, 146, 148, 150, 70 and 72, 56 and 58, circuits 70a and V72'1, 56a and 58, and circuit 154, returning to the main 80 through wire 126, bus bar 122, bus bar 120, switch 128, bus bar 118, bus bar 100, wire 104, fuse 92, wire 96, the oposite side of the switch 84, and wire 88. losing their respective electroma-gnets 128 which withdraw the associate armatures 24 from beneath the movable rails 18, which being sullicientlyweighted drop tothe level of the rails 16 and permit the Weights 36 and the intervening mechanism to close the shutters l0. The closing of the branch circuits embodying the electromagnets 54 energizes said electromagnets and causes them to raise the armatures 52 from the path of the lugs 50A 'and permit the springs 48 to shoot the bolts.

46 and thus lock the `doors 4 and B, so that a burglar cannot enter the protected area C, or escape through the door B. On releasing of the push button 184 the shutters 10 remain 'closed and the doors.4 and B remain locked until manually restored to normal position. The mains 78 and 80 may carry either a direct or analternating current, but in the event that the former is used a bank of resistance will be substituted i for the transformer 110 which is employed for reducing the voltage in the circuitnwires 138 and 140 below that in the mains 78 and 80.

' All of the wires ma be either concealed or arranged in armore conduits in order to be inaccessible to a burglar trapped in the room A. Police oliicers responding to the alarm will be provided with keys for unlocking the front door B, so that those persons Within-the protected area C need not expose themselves for that pur ose.

From the fore oing` escription it will be understood thatv have provided a burglar guard embodying the features above pointed out, and while I lhave shown and described thel preferred construction, combination and 1 arrangementv of parts,.I reserve ,the right to make such changes as properly fall within the spirit and scope of the claims.

Having thus 'described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In combination, a Wall having an opening therein, a pair of oppositely disposed members for closing said opening, rail sections spaced apart and upon which said members are arranged to travel, a movable rail section intermediate said spaced 'rail Sections and adapted to move to the level of the latter to form a continuous track upon which the members may move to closed position, electrically controlled'means for normally .holding said movable rail section in' the path of the open members, and means for closing the shutters when .the movable section is released by said electrically controlled means and moves to the level of the spaced rail sections.

2. In combination, a wall having a window opening therein, a pair of oppositely disposed shutters for closing said opening, rail sections spaced apart and upon which said shutters are arranged to travel, a mov- 'trolled means and movesffto t which the shutters may move to closed po# sition, a magnetically controlledjlatch for normally holding said movable rail section in the path of the open shutters, andmea'ns for closing the shutters when the movable section is released by saidma netically cone level of the spaced rail sections. 3. In combination, a Wall-havin'grra-"window opening therein, a pair of oppositely disposed shutters for closing -said opening, rail sections spaced apart and upon which said shutters are arranged to travel, .a movable rail -section intermediate said spaced rail sections and adapted to move to the level of the latter to form a continuous track upon which the shutters may move to closed posi.- tion, a. latch for normally holding said movable rail section in the pathyof vthe open shutters, an electromagnet for retracting said latch so that the movable rail section may move to the level of the spaced rail sections `andpermit the shutters to clase', an`d acircuit for exciting said electroma et. A

4. In combination, a Wall havlng an opening therein, a pair of oppositely dis osed members for closing said opening, rai sections spaced apart and upon which said members are arranged to travel, a movable rail section intermediate said spaced rail sections and adapted to move to the level of the latter to form a continuous track upon which the members may move to closed position, electrically controlled means for normally holdingsaid movable rail section in the path of the open members, and Weighted means for closing the members when the movable section is released by said electrically controlled means and movestothe level of the spaced rail sections.

5. In combination, a Wall lhaving a window opening therein, a pair of oppositely rail sections spaced apart and upon Whirih said shutters are arranged to travel, a movable rail section intermediate said spaced rail sections and adapted to move to the disposed shutters for closing said opening,l

level of the latter to form a continuous track upon which the shutters may move to closed position, electrically controlled means for normally holding said movable rall section in the path of the open shutters, levers connected to said shutters, and means for causing said levers to close the shutters when the movable rail moves to the level of the spaced rails.

6. In combination, a Wall having a window opening therein, a pair of oppositely disposed shutters for closing said opening, rail sections spaced apart and upon which said shutters are arranged to travel, a movable rail section intermediate said spaced rail sections and'adaptedto move to the level the movable rail moves tothe level of the of rthe latter to yform a continuous track 'spaced mils.r

upon which the shutters may move to closed position, electrically controlled.y rmeans, for normally holding said movable rail section in the path ofthe open shutters, leverskconnected to said shutters, and weights for causing said levers to close the shutterslvvhen In testimony whereof I aix my signature,

in the presence of two witnesses.

y f WILLIAM J .TCOWAN Witnesses K L. J. FISCHER,

F. G. FISCHER. 

